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Idaho dad donates kidney to save daughter's life

Kindergartner Lexi Kortz received the ultimate gift from her dad: a chance at a longer life. Diagnosed with Joubert's Syndrome, Lexi needed a kidney transplant in order to survive. Luckily her dad was an exact match.
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For one Idaho father, being an organ transplant match meant being able to save his young daughter's life.

"She's my daughter, so I'm just going to get it done," he told KTVB. "I can't have my little girl go away."

Matt Kortz gave Lexi one of his kidneys.

Two years ago, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic syndrome called Joubert Syndrome. After the diagnosis, doctors found that she was in stage-4 kidney failure.

"After that, there's just nothing you can do," Kortz told KTVB.

Devastated by the situation, Kortz said he wanted to do whatever he could to help his daughter, who was 5-years-old at the time. In late December of 2011, the Kortz family says a successful transplant brought color back to Lexi's cheeks.

Now, Lexi is 7-years-old and attends Frontier Elementary School in Meridian, and the family couldn't be prouder of Matt.